Blindness
by Rakusa
Summary: There's been an accident in our heroes world, and the consequences are multiple.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"I'm afraid there's been an accident." I sank down into the hard plastic seat in the waiting room of the Emergency wing. I was instantly pulled back up again and deposited into a soft comfy swizzle chair, as comfortable as a armless chair that sinks every once in awhile and rocked every time you breathed, but none-the-less, it was more comfortable than a plastic chair designed to make you on edge.

"An accident?" I questioned looking up into the face of my friend. "Who was in it?" I held onto a little tiny piece of hope.

"I'm afraid it was Mamoru." She patted my arm sympathetically as my breath became lost to me.

"Where-where is he?" I asked looking around for some sign of the man I have known for a very long time.

"He was brought in just before I paged you down here. I felt it necessary to tell you personally, considering that you and he are so close. In fact you were the only number he had in his wallet." The slightly younger woman looked concerned.

I nodded before biting my lip. "I know." I shook my head trying to get it around this new concept, that he may be dead or dying.

"He's in surgery right now." The woman seemed to understand my plight.

"Do-do-do you know how bad it is?" I stuttered, for the first time in years have I ever been unsure what I wanted to say.

"I'm afraid I don't, I saw enough to see a lot of blood, but as you know that doesn't really mean anything." The woman placed her hand over mine.

I was about to say something but got cut off by my pager buzzing against my hip. I looked up at the woman in distress. I closed my eyes tightly, before looking up again composed. "I have to get back to work. Will you page me when he gets out of surgery?"

"You won't be allowed in, you know that, but I will page you when he wakes up." The woman squeezed my hand and I nodded in agreement.

"Thank you." I stood up on shaky legs and gave one final glance towards the surgery room.

"He'll be fine, I promise." She spoke softly. "Now get back to work, it will do neither of you any good for you to be worrying." I gave her a soft smile before heading back up the stairs to the critical care unit, and when I got there I was so involved in trying to re-stabilize a third degree burn victim that my troubled mind stayed far away from Mamoru for it couldn't help him and the patients on my table at the same time. I owed it to my patients to give them all of my attention or else I would be responsible for their deaths and have to face the families affected by the loss.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

In fact, I was in the middle of maintaining a cardiac arrest patient when my pager beeped twice. I ignored it, and ended up being in surgery for another 3 hours, and towards the end of stabilizing him, I had another patient to take care of. By the time I finally got out of preliminary surgeries, I was dead on my feet. My job was plastic surgeon slash critical victims unit attendant. People with deep lacerations or horribly messed up figures because of an accident or burns that would leave a victim open for diseases, I was the one who was there to fix it as best as I could.

I suppose I always could have gone into the money making business, because people often remarked how good of a job I was at restoring their natural features or giving them the look they really wanted, quite beautiful someone remarked one day about the inability to see even a single scar. My real goal though was to make sure that people were still able to move and do the things they were once able to do. A young girl had once fallen off a horse while freeing it from a barn on fire. Her hand was burn terribly and couldn't even move it; I had tried to make sure she was able to at least get back some mobility. In time it did heal, and luckily my work didn't go to waste, she was going to have a horse competition this weekend and I was invited.

One of the nurses guided me to an empty room with a bed turned down and set me upon it. I looked at her through tired eyes, trying to figure out why she wasn't as tired as I was. "Shift change girl, you should have been out of surgery an hour ago, it's not safe for you to drive, let alone hold somebody else's life in your hands." Something in that sentence tried to fit into the jumbled jigsaw puzzle my mind was in, but it wouldn't fit, and I nodded tiredly.

"How long was I in this time?" I mumbled.

"I say about 12 hours from what the other nurses have mentioned." I tried to sit up, but was pushed back down and a blanket was pulled over me. "Sleep Tsukino-san, sleep, otherwise you'll be no good on your next shift." My hair was pushed from my eyes and I fell asleep instantly.

When I woke up it was bright in my room, a hard fact considering there were no windows. I stumbled out of bed and glared at the bright lights the cleaning crew forgot to turn off, mumbling a few curses, I looked at my pager for the time, and then it hit me, Mamoru! I was out of that room as quick as lightning, I just had to see him, there were no time for the elevator that a huge crowd was waiting at, I ran down the stairs, ignoring the confused looks my coworkers were giving me. I ended at the desk to the Emergency room. The friend from yesterday wasn't there any longer, instead it was a new girl, one who thought it was fun to be a brain dead twit.

"Hello, I'm looking for a patient, a Chiba Mamoru, do you know where he was moved to?" I asked politely, trying to keep myself from drumming my nails against the counter in agitation at her slowness.

"Chiba Mamoru, car accident, right?" I shrugged; I hadn't gotten the details in my flogged state of mind yesterday. She pulled out a card. "He was picked up by the mortuary last night." She sighed. "Such a shame that with all these good doctors they still loose some isn't it?" She twirled her cherry red hair around her finger while chopping on her gum. I grumbled before leaping over the desk to grab the card. "HEY!" She squeaked in shock.

I looked at the card, it was the wrong card! "This says that Chiba Mamoru is a 200 lb, decrepit, old lady named Madelia Anionic." I glared at the dumb lady and pulled out the files, scanning through them for the correct information I wanted.

"Hey, you can't do that, it's against hospital policy, I can call security on you!" She squabbled.

I gave her a chilling glance. "The only thing that should be against hospital policy was employing you, and I work here, if you would remember correctly, you call me down here almost every day!" I finished rummaging through the stack and pulled out the one I wanted, I scanned it for the room number, in the in-patient care unit, yeah, yeah, um... there it was, room 217, got it. "Thank you for the help." I bit sarcastically, she gave me quite a fright, I hadn't dreamed it would have taken his life and then she went and blurted that out. "If you ever want a job recommendation, come to me, ok?" I smile overly sweet. She would get the hospital sued for sure if I was just a regular family member.

"Really?" The girl brightened. "I was actually looking for another job, this one doesn't really suit me that much. Would you mind I used you as a reference?"

"Yeah, sure." I lied; anything to get her a job away from here, and away from me would be a lifesaver, literally.

"Thank you!" She squealed and tried to hug me, but I was smart enough and was already on my way to Mamoru's room. "Wait, what's your name again?" She called out as I disappeared from sight. I rolled my eyes in disbelief and calmed myself from going back there and strangling her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I went around the maze that they called a hospital, I hadn't been in this section for a long time, and when I reached his room, I heard shouts from the door. "Chiba-san, please, I have to fix the bandage!" A woman yelled.

"Get away from me!" Mamoru yelled back.

"Please listen to the nurse Chiba-san, there's only so much we can do for you unless you start cooperating." The doctor's patient and soothing male voice tried to calm him, all too used to the tantrums patients often threw.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't care, you can't help me, you already told me as much yesterday when I first came out of the sleeping pills." There was a sound of shattered glass and a woman's shriek. "DON'T touch me." I almost smirked at the threat in his voice, good old Mamoru, predictable in spades.

"Chiba-san, do we have to get security in here, I don't care if you're rich, you won't be throwing the vases that your kind friends have brought for you." The doctor stated coolly, clearly not amused by this behavior in a grown man.

I kept my laughter in check; obviously he did not know the temper Mamoru had, which was legendary in the business field. I walked into the room silently, none of them were facing me, and I wrapped my arms around Mamoru's broad shoulders.

"Stay away from me!" He shouted and tried pushing me away. He succeeded and I landed a few feet back, he didn't even look in my direction.

The nurse helped me stand up, but I wasn't going to take him totally ignoring me like that, so what if I was a little late in coming to find him? I walked around to face him face to face, and I let out a strangled gasp.

That caught two people's attentions. "You're not supposed to be in here." The doctor got to his feet.

I couldn't say a word, all I could do was stare at the face now covered in bandages, even with my experience, I would never expect his handsome face to be covered up. "What is this, some type of freak show, get out of my room!"

"Mamoru, what happened?" I asked finally finding my voice.

His head perked up. "Usagi?" He questioned, as if he was afraid the answer was negative. He groped around with his hands, looking for something of mine to tell him the answer in something other than sound.

I grabbed his hands in mine. "Yeah, it's me." I smiled softly. I reached tentatively out for his face with my free hand and once I touched the bare cheek he pushed my hand away. "Mamoru?" I questioned.

"I'm afraid he's been like that all day Tsukino-san." The nurse answered. "At least he allowed you to touch his hand, I haven't been able to get close enough to take his pressure."

"Mamoru, you've got to allow them to help you, it's the only way you'll get better." I whispered gently.

"Get out." He rasped. My eyes widened and I could only gape. "All of you get out!" He yelled when he didn't hear anyone moving. The doctor and nurse started towards the door and I got up from my knelt position in front of him. "Not you silly." He pulled me back, closer to his warmth. The other two seeing him in good hands left, quietly closing the door behind them.

"Mamoru?" I questioned lightly. "What's gotten into you?"

"Take the bandages off." He stated.

"I'm not supposed to do that." I reiterated.

"There's the new ones over there some place." He nodded in the direction to his right, and they were really to his left.

I stood up and brought them closer after grabbing a chair to sit on. "You wouldn't even let me touch your face, why are you telling me to do this?" I inquired.

"Because I trust you." He stated calmly, he also mumbled something along the lines of 'and out of all people I'd rather have you care for me.'

"I can't be your nurse, you know that right?" He nodded. "Right?" I insisted.

"Yeah, I know." He grabbed my hand as I raised it to take off a bandage. "Why weren't you here earlier? The nurse at the desk visited me, seems she knew me or something and apologized for your absence though you knew that I was here."

"I was working, I couldn't abandon the life of a patient to go sit in a waiting room hoping that you wouldn't die on me." I gently released my hand from his and went back to addressing his bandages. "Why are you so mellow and fowl tempered today?"

"That's not usually two words you put together in the same sentence." He mused wryly. I am very efficient at this and was already down to the last layers of the bandage, two smaller pieces were covering his eyes. Again he halted my hands and their exploration. "How much do you know about this?"

"About you or taking care of a patient?" I teased, he didn't respond with a smile like I was hoping, but instead with a frown. "That you were in an accident which made you get covered in blood and rushed into surgery, that's all I got before being rushed back upstairs."

"So you know no details?" He made gentle motions on my hand with his fingertips.

"None." I allowed him to continue his exploration; apparently he had something big to tell me.

"I'm blind." Which wasn't what I expected to hear from his lips.

I gulped. "You're blind?"

"If you don't ever want to see me again, that's fine by me, you don't have to hang around with a cripple if you don't want, I sure as hell won't be seeing you." He tried to make light of his situation. I tried to remove my hands from his, but he wouldn't let go, so I made one clean jerk and got them free. I walked over to the doorway and peered around outside it, seeing nobody I closed it again. I looked towards Mamoru, his shoulders were slumped and he was trying to hold back dry silent tears. "I knew it, I just knew it." He muttered over and over again.

I rolled my eyes and sat down once again in front of him and gently removed the remainder of his bandages. He gasped and lifted his head to look for me, but then couldn't see anything and dropped it again. "I can't believe you would think so low of me." I reprimanded. "I don't care if you're blind, you're still my same old pompous jerk."

"Oh Usagi!" He moaned. "I've been so lonely. I've had so many people try and contact you, but they wouldn't do it or couldn't get a hold of you." He seemed to remember something. "Have you been working for more than 18 hours?"

"No, I worked 12 and fell asleep almost after I left the operating room." I still didn't know what time it was. I looked down for my pager, but I couldn't find it anywhere.

He opened his eyes now that the gauze was cleared from his finely chiseled face, and I was looking into the same night blue eyes that I was used to, but this time they were almost lifeless. "How long is your break?" He asked remorsefully.

"I'm off duty for another couple of hours at least." I ran my hands smoothly over his face brushing the stitching with a feather touch and moved over his eyes, a frown set firmly on my face. "I think I should replace the bandages before infection can set in, I don't see any reason right now why you wouldn't be off of them in a day or so." I started placing new coverings over the slightly opened wounds. When I was finished I stood up. "Would you like me to open a window?"

"Nah, I'm fine Usa-chan." He was looking for me again, but was getting increasingly frustrated when he couldn't seem to find me on his own. "Can you just sit with me on the bed for awhile?" He pouted, or tried to in only a way Mamoru could without actually pouting or looking less dignified.

I was tempted to just tell him I'd be a moment. "I really should go talk to your doctor." I tried; I knew sitting with him now wouldn't be a good idea with both of us so emotionally drained at this moment.

"Can't you just save the doctor crap for later? I want my best friend with me right now!"

"Oh ok, I'll go get Jadeite, he'll be over here in no time." I took a step, and this time he had heard my feet as I neared him, and he seemed to be getting his bearings because he grabbed me with no struggle and pulled me onto the bed with him.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I somehow ended up lying beneath him, his head on my stomach, listening to the inner workings; I think he fell asleep a couple of minutes after that. He must have been really tired, or so worked up on those pills that he no longer had control over his sleeping habits. Within all the years of building up his business, he had seemed no need to sleep, a fact that I was often jealous of struggling to juggle a job and med school and just trying to stay awake in class.

Mamoru was a top businessman, do-hickey, I never really learned, which wasn't to say I wasn't interested in it, but all I really knew was he dealt with the mass floral companies, he owned all of the really nice ones and pitted prices against each other so he'd always get the money because nobody ever realized they were all one chain. That was still legal in Japan, so Mamoru used it to his advantage. The first store he ever opened was the Rose palace, and it really did look like a palace made out of roses.

About an hour later, he was still the only one asleep, which was generally the opposite or we both were. The doctor came in and raised an eyebrow at the situation, I shrugged as best as I could, and he let it drop. "How's the patient coming along?"

"I changed his bandages, and he seems to be a fast learner, he lost his eye sight, but he's learning how to cope with that. He told me that he'd never get his eye sight back, I realize he can jump to only one conclusion and stick with it sometimes, so what's your take on it?"

"My take?" The doctor asked. "He'll be fine, it's one of those ones where it's temporarily gone, but has a high chance of resurfacing at a random time. How'd you get him to allow you to take his bandages off, he seemed rather self-conscious and worried about being perceived as weak with them."

"Old family secret." I winked. "If you have any more trouble with him though, tell him to knock it off or I'll beat his ass."

"I don't think that's very good for your patient,' a groggy voice sounded at her waist.

"Yeah, well who asked you anyways?" I mocked. "Anyways, you aren't my patient."

"I wish I were though." He reached out and followed the line of my neck to my jaw and rested his hand upon my cheek. "I wouldn't mind such a pretty girl for a doctor, not at all..."

"Not that you can even see said pretty girl. Besides, if you ever needed plastic surgery, you'd get your wish. But that can be arranged, you might need a plastic surgeon if you don't knock of your attitude." I slipped out from underneath him. "Well now that you're awake, and the doctor's here, I can go look for my pager." I gave a smile to the doctor, I've never really dealt with him before, and we were still feeling out where the other one started and the one ended.

"I'll take care of him." The doctor realized that there was closeness between us, the two friends, and he had to be considerate of it.

"You hear that Mamoru? The doctor just promised _me_ that he'd take care of you, you don't want him to break his promise to _me_ do you? Now be good." I kissed his cheek, although he tried to turn his head at the last minute.

"Now Chiba-san, I'll be removing the bandages for now, ok? We'll be seeing what the status is." Mamoru nodded his head dutifully sensing that I had not left the room, and as soon as the door closed a loud shatter could be heard. A male nurse rushed by me into the room to help out with the unsettled patient, I shook my head in amusement.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I walked back to my ward, stretching during the first long break I've had in a long time, with no other engagement I had to attend to. It felt good to be this free, how was I to know, that it wouldn't last?

"Usagi?" The nurse on duty asked surprised. "We weren't expecting you for another few hours." I smiled at the younger woman.

"I realize that, but I have to find my pager, after this next shift, I'll be off of call, the hassles of being an employee here..." My smile widen, for I was only teasing, I wouldn't give up my job for the world. "Hmm... I think next month will be a great time to take a long awaited vacation."

"I agree, you work way too much." My friend said, coming out of a room, stretching while a big yawn covered her small face, I continued to watch the lithe blue haired doctor, how nobody said anything to her about it, I'd never know, but I couldn't seem to remember a time when the extremely smart woman wasn't with blue hair.

"You're one to talk Ami-chan, you look like you haven't slept in days." I patted her shoulder, she hardly had time to come and visit me when we were both working, she was a neo-neurosurgeon, yes a neo-neurosurgeon, she was experimenting with the latest advancement in neurosurgery and she always seemed to make them work, she held my awe the whole way through med-school. And perhaps, I still was in awe of her, though all my thoughts on her being perfect weren't exactly true... I knew her too well to believe that anybody, much less her could be perfect.

"What do I owe this unexpected pleasure?" I asked one of my best friends.

"I heard there were empty rooms up here for a good night sleep." Ami stretched. "So I've been doing just that." She looked at me for a second then seemed to remember something. "Oh, and I heard this weird noise like that of a pager on the floor, I guess I found your pager?" She smiled sweetly at me and I gave her a lop-sided smile, glancing at the pages, nothing important, just mom wanting me to call her back I guessed.

"How about we go down and grab a bite to eat, and I can tell you some very interesting news." I looped my arm with hers and walked down to the cafeteria, and got the good 'doctor' food, which only we knew about.

"So Usa-chan, what's this pressing news?" Ami asked me after we settled down and I had just put a bite of food into my mouth, I rolled my eyes at everybody's timing and finished chewing before answering.

"You'll never guess who's in the hospital." Ami's eyes took an intrigued quality to them.

"The one, the only, Chiba Mamoru." I announced in my best broadcaster voice. "He came in last night, car accident, that's all I really know, I've yet to really ask him what happened." I rolled my shoulders.

"And we all know the dork." Ami added. "He probably wouldn't tell anybody but you anyways. Have you gotten a hold of anybody else?"

I shook my head. "I haven't had time to call, it was one of my priorities but if I hadn't seen you when I did you probably wouldn't have gotten a call until tomorrow, sorry."

"Don't apologize. So what's wrong with him?" Ami's eyes widen in suppressed shock. "There aren't any disabilities that he'll have to cope through will there? I know him well enough to know he'll be disastrous until he gets a handle on them." Ami's eyes widened even further when I didn't say anything to rebuke her assessment. "No way, what is it?" She leaned in closer, who ever said she didn't like to gossip had another think coming towards them.

I rubbed my forehead, anticipating not only her reaction, but also the up coming battle with my best friend. "He's blind, temporarily, that's what the Doc. said, but you know how things can sometimes go wrong with complications people don't expect."

Her small warm hand covered mine. "He'll be fine, and you'll both pull through this. I think I'll visit him sometime later this week, and don't worry about calling everybody else, I'll do it for you, tomorrow..." She winked at me, and I had no idea why she was giving me an extra day to be alone with him. But despite everything I was grateful, and it showed in the smile I directed towards her.

I left her after we complete our lunches, she said she'd find me sometime in the next week as well, that we should have lunch together more often as well. I empathetically agreed, looking forward to it. So from there I headed back to Mamoru's room, I had a couple hours still until my shift started again.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Usagi! I was a good patient, honest! Don't kick my ass!" Mamoru pleaded searching for me with wide motions with his arms. Trying to find and capture me again, like he had done before he lost his eyesight. This was the first thing that greeted me as I entered the room, announcing my presence. "Help me from this evil doctor!"

I ignored his silliness, and turned to the doctor, feeling two arms encircle my waist. "Did you get everything done?" I asked looking behind me to the man I was being engulfed by, his bandages were cut down to a minimum. Only a few here and there Band-Aids and the ones covering his eyes.

"He acts like such a little kid, I was tempted to bring in a child nurse, just to calm his tantrums." The doctor mused. "But yes, I finally got everything done the moment before you entered the room." He laughed.

I joined in. "That's good, so Mamoru, what do you want now that you've been such a good patient?" I asked in a light mood.

I wasn't prepared for his answer. "A kiss wench!" And he pretended to draw me near him, and he pinched my butt. "Good kisser, wench." I rolled my eyes at him, and winked at the doctor.

"Go along to your other patients, I'll be fine, so will he." I figured the doctor would have been more concerned at my predicament than he would at Mamoru's.

"Perhaps, but just give a holler if he turns to be too much for you." The man doctor winked at me, and I smiled back at him, taking in his good looks for the first time, yes that would do very nicely...

"Ok Mamoru, what's up?" I questioned taking a hand and guiding him along a wall by running his hand against it.

"Nothing." He muttered against my cheek, I was surprised he got so close to me so fast. "Just missed you." He nuzzled the side of my neck.

"Do you know how to brush your teeth by yourself?" I questioned moving away.

"No shit Sherlock." He seemed suddenly annoyed at me, and pulled me to him. "Let's dance."

"I meant do you know how to do simple things that you used to be able to do but now without your sight?" I asked lightly.

"Yes." Was his reply to my question. "Now quit the doctor stuff, I do believe we've already been through this."

I stopped asking for a while, wishing I knew the depth to his handicap, so I could help him the best I could. But he was determined to be unhelpful, even to me at some points, and I was getting frustrated!

I did however manage to find out why it was that he had lost his sight. He had been in a car accident, but it was so bizarre, a power line had fallen in his path as he drove and the car in front of him ignited the loose strands and caused the brightest light he could remember seeing, in the literal terms, he added, I have no idea what he meant by that.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

When I wasn't working, I was down with him, or being carted off to the cafeteria to eat. I had refused to go at first, but then the doctor had decided to have the big guy who, called himself a 'child nurse', pick me up and place me in a wheelchair and tying me in it until I was down there and a plate was in front of me. That lasted for a couple days, he even came while I was working upstairs, and he told the world be damned, I wouldn't be able to create miracles if I was too sick to live from working too much. I was instantly grateful to the blond man and the big nurse.

I didn't sleep well though, and it was present every time I headed down to hold vigil over Mamoru throughout the night. He was more affected by this than he admitted, and that worried me more than anything else.

I was walking after my latest shift when I heard arguments in the room I had dubbed as the pompous room. Inside Mamoru was trying very hard to ignore his very smart doctor, the equally smart, if not more so was acting quite dumb recently. I wondered if a few of Mamoru's brain cells weren't mixed up or died in that accident as well.

"Tell her to go home you selfish ass." The handsome doctor told his patient, and I almost clicked my tongue in disagreement, but held it, he may be onto something there. Perhaps the best way the doctor could handle this patient was to go the no-nonsense route and even insult the patient. Not that I minded Mamoru getting yelled at.

"Why should I?" Mamoru retorted. "She made her own decision to stay, so let her!" As it was, I could barely keep my eyes open, but I allowed the argument to continue.

"Usagi's been awake probably for the last 36 hours, or don't you care? The girl you care about is collapsing because she's worried about you, that she doesn't even sleep between shifts anymore!" The blond man defended me, I was in debt to him, I secretly wanted to sleep, but wouldn't allow myself the privilege while Mamoru suffered his life in the dark.

"I didn't know that." Mamoru's soft voice died off in a concerned note.

"Yeah, well if you only tried to get your eye sight back, your milking this because then you'll know that Usagi won't leave you alone."

"I'll make sure she gets more sleep." Mamoru promised to himself, and I decided there was the best time to enter the very large room.

"Hello." I greeted both of the men, and the doctor left, giving me a heart-stopping thousand-watt smile, and I returned it the best I could in my sleep-fogged mind. "Mamoru, giving the poor doctor a hard time again?"

His answer was only to pull me into an embrace and we both ended up on the bed, him holding me, afraid to let go and I fell asleep the first time in a week. When I woke up, he too was asleep, and I closed my eyes again, drifting back into the racing chariots.

The doctor woke me up several hours later. I slipped out underneath Mamoru's heavy weight and pulled the blanket up over him. I followed the doctor into the hallway. "Usagi-san, I got a page from your friend, you'll be needed shortly, there's a burn victim being flown in, all the other hospitals are booked, and it's actually faster to get her treatment here. But now that we have time, I'm wondering, would you like to go out on a date sometime with me?"

I smiled widely, but placed a gentle hand on his arm, and he knew my answer before I gave it. "I'm afraid I can't." A tiny look towards the door at the rather loud sound brought my attention to it. "I'm honored and all of that, but frankly, I'm not interested in you like that."

"I understand." The doctor engulfed me in a hug. "I'll be seeing you around still, even after Mamoru-san's released?"

"You can count on it." I gave him another smile. "I better go in and tell Mamoru of my requirement to leave." I entered the room again, and he was lying on top of the blanket I had put over him, feigning sleep, I shook my head in amusement. "Mamoru." I said gently, not allowing him to know I knew the truth.

"Are you going somewhere Usa-chan?" He questioned drawing my hand into his.

"Yes." I replied. "I have to go to the ER and help a patient. You'll be all right, won't you while I'm gone?"

"I promise." Mamoru pulled me into a hug. "You really are one of the best friend's a guy could have." He pulled my head towards him and kissed my cheek, just where my lips cornered. "Be safe." He let me go when the intercom rang.

"I always am, something, you don't seem to be." I hugged him one last time and left to the ER room.

Tomorrow Mamoru would be leaving the hospital to continue with recovery at home. It was only a week after Mamoru's accident and I was walking around outside, he was following me by hanging onto my hand tripping every once and awhile but it was important he could walk somewhat on his own. After awhile he stopped me and pulled me towards him. One of the nurses looked disapprovingly at us and I shrugged it off.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Usa-chan, have I ever thanked you for all this time you've been putting in?" He asked softly.

I nodded then remembering he couldn't see it said yes. In fact the blond doctor had told me I had pretty much taken over the position a spouse or girlfriend would be in, not just a best friend. "You tell me that almost every day Mamoru."

"Maybe, but I haven't told you how much it means to me. Without you I'd be lost and there isn't anybody I'd rather have by my side during this difficult time." He rested his forehead on mine and I was looking into his blue eyes but they couldn't see mine. "I know I haven't been the easiest patient to deal with and I'm not even yours, but I thank you again anyways."

"We should go back in." All the sunlight wasn't good for his eyes and I had a feeling this conversation was about to loose it's calm mood. He allowed me to lead him back to the room.

When we got there, he turned and held out his arms for me and I moved closer beware of what he was thinking. I always knew there was a submerged passion between us that we ignored for so long because we'd rather have friendship than anything messy. "Usa-chan, will you go out with me?"

"What?" The question wasn't exactly what I expected, and I didn't expect it said so plainly with out something leading up to it.

"When I get out of the hospital tomorrow? Will you go out on date with me then?"

I was in shock but only one word would come to my head and it was exactly what I said. "No."

"You won't go out with me just because I'm blind!" He yelled at me suddenly angry when I tried gently to turn him down.

"Damn straight I won't date you just because you're blind!" I yelled back, my own anger rising.

"So despite all your soothing words to me earlier that it didn't matter what abilities I possessed, you weren't going to think any less of me, wasn't true? I could think a lot of things of you, but I never thought you were a liar." He seethed.

"I'm not a liar, but Kami Mamoru, I'm not going to date you when your blind because I would feel like I was taking advantage of you in a moment of vulnerability, and nothing we would share would be real."

"It would be, I've been trying to tell you for such a long time, and when the accident happened, it made me want to double my actions to get you to stay with me, to think of me something more than just a friend, or even a best friend!"

"No, it's just the accident talking, you, you, you wouldn't have tried to get me, it's only because I was the first friend you had met since you woke up, and thought to yourself, 'hey, I love her' but it was only because you were confused." I denied, I didn't want him to be telling the truth, only to have myself proven right.

"No, I've been doing little things to try and get you to realize that you love me, like I love you, when you kissed my cheek that first day, I turned towards you hoping to capture your lips." Mamoru admitted. "But I wasn't so lucky, and you kissed my cheek anyways, and once I knew you left I threw a vase at a wall in anger that I had allowed you to slip away again."

"You, you, love me?" I questioned, it wasn't the first time I had heard that word come out of his mouth, directed towards me, but it was always in a teasing mood like 'you know I love you' or 'Kami I love you' or an I love you in friend terms, never before had I played with the possibility that he might be in love with me, passionately.

"Yes, but now you won't hear it because you think I'm worthless because I'm blind. Just because I'm blind, doesn't mean I can't see into my own feelings. Now my blindness has ruined my perfection." He muttered disdainfully. I took a deep breath and opened myself up for the first time to him and gave him a chance to hurt me.

"I won't say your perfect, because you're not, but I love you just the same, even with your faults! Being blind isn't one though." I tried to keep calm about it, but he was starting to irritate me. But now I knew why I had never thought my best friend could hurt me and wanted to keep him there, because as long as he was my friend, I could go on loving him, where if I dated him, I could have been hurt like all the guys in my life had eventually done to me, though often it was I breaking up with them.

He eventually found me with his arms and pulled me to him, although I didn't slump into him like I would have done, if I wasn't still reeling from shock at having said that out loud. "Usako, quit it, I know it took you a lot to say that, but now that you have, give in and kiss me." His hand trailed up my arm and over my neck to my jaw and tilted my head towards his; I looked into his unseeing face and pulled away.

"I can't do this yet." I said sadly. "I'm sorry."

"Wait!" He shouted at me, and I stopped. "The moon only shines brightly because the sun MAKES it so by casting its own light into the darkness of the rocky moon. You are my sun, and I will wait forever in the darkness, if it means for just even one glimpse of your brightness."

With that I did something uncharacteristic of me, the girl everybody said had such a huge heart and would give, and never take anything for myself, I, I left him, I left my love. I believed I mumbled something about when he could see the sun and moon again, to come find me, for I didn't want our first kiss to be something he couldn't see, and therefore didn't exist.

As I ran from the door, a niggling thought formed in my head as I remembered couples kissing, with their eyes closed, but it didn't matter to me, they at least saw each other before they closed in for the kiss. But I would learn, learn that the only one blind in our relationship was, me.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_This_ relationship would be different than any I have previously encountered, we have a history, and he knew me, he knew all my weaknesses and strengths, what it would do to hurt me, and how to lift me up out of sadness. He knew me like no other, but where, as before he had no ties to me other than friendship, he was asking for my complete heart now. That was something I wasn't sure I could give. If _this_ relationship didn't pan out, then there would be no _us_ to run to for comfort, and I would be back to negative square twenty, and have so much to make up for that I never knew existed.

But... if I went through with this relationship... than I'd be up at the end of the game, with only one direction to go, the winning step. Did I choose to be a winner or stuck in the same three steps, or chance to be put into the 'stop, do not pass go, do not collect 100 dollars, and go directly to jail, out of the game for good'?

I turned around to go back to what I was running from when the worst announcement overhead could be caught between my ears. "Dr. Tsukino, please report to the critical care unit, there's a patient flat-lining. I repeat, Dr. Tsukino, report immediately to the critical care unit, a patient is flat-lining."

I ran as fast as I could to the unit, skipping the elevator, for it would only slow me down, I couldn't stand to wait in that thing anyways, I climbed the stairs two flights and turned down the corridor that would lead me to my unit. I slid in and scrubbed as fast I could before entering the emergency area for the unit. It was a little boy, and wasn't my patient, it was my co-worker's one that was in Bermuda for the week on her honeymoon, and would be horrified to learn one of her patients died because of inability to secure him properly the first time through, and forced to give the guilt to her friend who wasn't suppose to even care for him, and let him die.

So instead I went straight to work, using all the skills I possessed to save a little boy's life, and barely managed to pull through several hours later, he was as secure as he would be, when he was back in his room, I checked my watch, my shift just started.

I walked out, after getting rid of all the bloody clothes I had on, and looked at my schedule, I still had 4 minutes before I was expected to go back in for a large arm skin graft, I was to take some skin from her leg and place it on her arm, both portions were sticky and resulted in having to watch very closely for infection or her immune system fighting off the transplant.

Surprisingly, the best patients to do this to were the ones that were obese. It was easier to get them to loose a lot of weight in a short time and use the extra hanging skin to transplant where the burns were, and not have to do short bits here and there while skin healed to do more.

Before I went to go talk to the family, I grabbed a muffin and a cup of coffee. After I finished both, I looked at my watch, then at the phone on the front desk. The nurse held it up to me and dialed quickly, some how knowing what it was that I wanted. "Hello, I'm calling to find out when Chiba Mamoru is being discharged from the hospital. Oh really? Do you think you can delay him for say, 5 hours? Yes, thank you Beth." I gave the phone back after hanging up. "Thank you too Sarah." I mouth to the pretty blond from Australia. She nodded, and smiled innocently.

It took me an hour longer than I thought it was going to take to get out of my division, I had also stopped to see how Lei was doing, the tiny girl that involved shipping in skin from those vain enough to try and change their faces and bodies through any thing but work. Turns out she was doing better than expected, and very happy that I came to see her.

As I left, everybody was wishing me good luck, much to my embarrassment, and I eventually got to the out patient forms were. I breathed in a sigh of relief to see Mamoru still here and arguing with Beth, he gave up and went to go sit down. I walked over to Beth first, because she was motioning me to her.

"You never told me he was such a good looking fine specimen." Beth giggled and hugged me. "But he's a handful, be wary of his temper today, I only got by from a very convenient 'misplace turn' while arms were waving. I told him for the last 6 hours I wasn't able to find his paper work, and he couldn't leave without it. He's getting fed up though, and he knows well enough he can just disappear if he wishes to."

I nodded. "Ok, wish me luck."

"You knew him right, before that accident?" Beth asked curious. I nodded, and raised a questioning brow. "Well, he could never turn you down if he knows how drop dead gorgeous you are!" Beth laughed and pushed me towards him, but she didn't know how much I had to make up for.

I walked over to him and sat down; placing a hand on his shoulder he jumped before settling down. "Did you finally find my paper work?" He said snappishly.

"Actually Mamo-ru." I shook my head, having caught myself but really, what I wanted to say was what I should have. "Mamo-chan." I repeated more resolutely. "I don't have your paper work, I'm sure it's there, sorry about delaying you for 6 hours, but I didn't want you to leave now without the possibility of allowing me into your house when I got off my shift. You know, giving me up as a lost cause and all that." I teased.

"You thought that I would leave as soon as I got discharged, after that big thing that happened in my room earlier today, yesterday actually?" He laughed, he really laughed at me. "Usa-chan, I was going to go up to your division and talk this all out with you. If I hadn't been so delayed." Mamoru patted my head. "Now, what's up?"

"See here's the thing, the moon is the reflectant of the sun right? So when the sun is down, it's the moon's job to shine on earth, and lead the way, and if you're the moon that gets reflected light, than I'm the earth, stumbling along to find you." I held his hand, hoping he would take my apology. "When I said that I couldn't stand for you to be in the dark while kissing me, I realized that the moon shines at night even when it's not there, and the sun is always up in another part of the world, and as long as the sun shines, the world exists." I leaned in to kiss him, but he held me back. I explored his face for some type of sign, seeing none, I pulled away, hurt.

I knew it was a mistake to trust him, to believe he was right, that it wasn't a result from post-trauma and being cooped up in a room for the last week and a half. "Wait!" He stumbled forward, looking about for me in the crowded and noisy room. I walked near him, never really leaving him, but not allowing myself to be touched by him at the moment. I placed my hand on his arm. "Usako, please don't be angry." He brought me to him, crushing me against his chest.

"I'm not." I was secretly relieved that he was still calling me his little bunny, a sure sign that he had not cut back from his previous statements. "I just don't understand." I rested my head on his chest and heard the beating of his heart pumping blood through his body.

"You were right earlier, before you ran out of the room, I don't want to kiss you either when I can't see you, no matter how tempted I am. I want to see you, despite your beautiful words, I'd still rather see you as we close the gap between us." The gap he spoke about wasn't just a physical one, but one that had been building over our friendship, one that spoke of unrelenting passions that we wanted to act on, and I finally recognized it. I nodded against his chest. "Let's go home?" He ventured softly, and I was about to answer when a vibration on my hip stopped me, it was another emergency.

"I have an emergency to attend to now, I'm off duty in 3 hours, will you wait for me?" A secret meaning hidden in it that he knew all too well, and I waited on baited breath to hear his answer.

"I'll wait forever, you know that." He dropped his head to be near mine and placed his cheek next to mine.

"You need a shave." I giggled, and pulled away, although he tried to stop me. "Emergency." I repeated more for myself than him, and he nodded in acknowledgement. "You can get somebody to bring you up you know." I tossed over my shoulder and I was up the flight of stairs again, except for this time, I lost the patient, it was unfortunate but it was also part of the job, not everyone pulled through. It was not a very promising beginning, yet although I was sad by it, I knew that everything was going to be all right. We'd still have a lot to work through, but with his love driving us on, I knew my own love would be able to rival his once I got over any niggling doubts, I was definitely going to try.


	10. Epilogue

Epilogue

A vase shattered against a wall, we were back in the hospital where we had gotten together in. "Usagi! Calm down!" A voice yelled at me, a blond haired woman, whose hair must be in total disarray. "This isn't the end of the world girl!" One of my dearest friends clicked her tongue at me.

"But Ami!" I cried out loud in a screech.

"Tell Mamoru to stop throwing vases at the wall!" A male doctor ducked his head in just to barely miss another vase aimed at the wall directly behind him. "I see the child hasn't changed, how ever do you deal with him Usa-chan?" The visionary doctor questioned, as the man in question growled and almost lunged for the man.

"Oh! Motoki!" I squealed. "Mamo-chan, leave the poor doctor alone!"

"You know I still haven't forgiven you for asking her out!" Mamoru growled at the man.

"Ah, but I helped you get your vision back, right? If it hadn't been for me in the first place you would have lost it, and we wouldn't have become such good friends, and as for asking your wife out, you weren't connected to her at all at that point, so she was fair game. Besides, I'm happy with Reika, your nurse, which you had a tendency to yell at too."

His attention turned towards me, and I swore as a deep pain ripped through me. "Ah you bloody idiot, get over here so I can rip your arm out!" I yelled at my husband. He was instantly by my side.

"You know, he never could stand to see you in pain, or know he couldn't do anything about you, that's why he was throwing vases all those years ago, just suppressed love for you coming out in the most violent way possible. Good luck Usa-chan, any child you have is going to be as thick headed as he is."

Another vase came towards his head, and Motoki effectively left them. "I sure hope they are as thick headed as you are, if not we'd never be here." I groaned one last time before a baby's wail shattered throughout the hospital. A dazzling boy with Mamoru's nose and chin and my eyes and a strange mixture of blond-black hair adorned the young child. "Definitely hope he does." I smiled at my husband, and he returned as if to say 'mine' both the child and woman, forever.

04/19/04-08/06/04


End file.
